Child rights in action

UNICEF calls for the universal
signature and ratification of child-related treaties
and invites all States that have not done so to take
action on these instruments at the Special Session on
Children and thereby concretely express their commitment
to improving children's lives.

The Convention on the Rights of the Child

The Convention on the Rights
of the Child is a universally agreed set of standards
and obligations which place children center-stage in
the quest for a just, respectful and peaceful society.

It spells out the basic human rights for all children, everywhere,
all the time: the right to survival; to develop to the fullest;
to protection from harmful influences, abuse and exploitation; and
to participate fully in family, cultural and social life. The Convention
protects these rights by setting standards in health care, education
as well as legal, civil and social services. These standards are
benchmarks against which progress can be assessed and States that
ratify the Convention are obliged to keep the best interests of
the child in mind in their actions and policies.

The Convention rests on four foundation principles:

non-discrimination (article 2);

best interests of the child (article 3);

the child's right to life, survival and development (article
6);

and respect for the views of the child (article 12).

Every child regardless of where they are born, the race or
ethnic group they belong to, whether they are a boy or girl, rich
or poor must have a full opportunity to become a productive
member of society and must have the right to speak up and be heard.

The Convention defines a child as a boy or girl under the age of
18 and considers a child as both an individual as well as a member
of a family and a community. A child is a human being with the full
range of rights.

This series of commitments was agreed to on 20 November 1989 by
the United Nations General Assembly and since then 191
States have ratified it. It is the most widely adopted international
human rights treaty in history.

The Convention on the Rights of the Child will provide
the underlying framework for negotiations during the
UN Special Session on
Children in May 2002.